and i see fire — windclan refugee arrival

It feels like hours have gone by as he awaits on the twoleg bridge, his bushy tail swishing nervously. They're going to be okay, He thinks to himself as he thinks about Smokestar and Moonpaw; whom disappeared into the burning moors with the WindClanner leading the way. He tries to stop his paws from trembling as he watches the fire from the bridge; the flames continue to consume the grassy field... the sky growing more and more dark with smoke. RiverClan should be safe from this blaze, in thanks to the river— protecting them from the hungry flames. His olive green eyes scan the moors before him, gasping as a silhouette of cats emerge from the smoke. They're here, He feels relief in his chest as the party of cats approach the twoleg bridge. Foxtail can't make out the WindClan scent over the smokey scent that clings to their fur, but he can tell these are WindClan's vulnerable members. Injured warriors, queens & kits, and elders. He dips his head to his leader and medicine cat apprentice, before dipping his head to the WindClanners.

"I-I'm pleased to see all of you made it," He speaks up, attempting to quell his shaking paws as he looks upon the WindClan cats. They must be exhausted... racing away from their beloved camp with dense, black smoke in the air. He can't imagine RiverClan territory on fire; he can't even begin to imagine WindClan's horror as that fire began to spread. Don't let Smokestar down, He quickly reminds himself, as he straightens his posture, his tail raised high. "All of you must follow m-me!" He mews as loud as he can, before gesturing the WindClanners to follow with his tail. "I'll lead you to safety within RiverClan!"

Eventually, his paws step into the beech copse; a thicket of beech trees with a spacious clearing in the middle. This would be perfect shelter for the WindClan cats, until it's safe for them to return to WindClan territory. That was some quick thinking from Smokestar; there was really no time to lose with the verge of WindClan camp engulfing in flames. He beckons the WindClanners to pad into the spacious clearing, speaking up. "You're now safe within RiverClan! This will be your shelter until your territory is safe a-again." His eyes briefly glance over at Smokestar and Moonpaw, as he wonders if either cat have anything to add on.

  • apprentice tag: @PEBBLEPAW
  • 76983326_NimpdpqQcHTVZW3.png


    credit to skaicraft (via insta) for the artwork <3
  • Foxtail
    warrior
    warmhearted
    timid
    experience: trained
    backstory: tbd
    biography: [HYPERLINK]
    credit to sixbane for the minis & tropics for the icon <3
    cisgender male [he / him]
    eyes: green
    pelt: cinnamon/chocolate
    fur length: long
    parents: dawnflower and redfur (riverclan npcs)
    18 moons


 


reed hadn't managed to catch a glimpse of celandinepaw from the gathering at the windclan camp, but he might as well have a mini version of her in his jaws right now. the kit he was holding was super chatty, and despite her many questions about climbing on his back and being a patrol leader, whatever []i]that[/i] meant, he had kept her tightly in his maw. the little she-cat wasn't aware that it was much faster to hold her like this rather than his back, where she was liable to fall, but instead of replying the tom just carried on swiftly and silently across the moor. he didn't speak much except for when he had first picked her up, and hopefully she would catch the hint. thankfully he didn't pick up a spicy kit, instead this kitten seemed rather nice but awfully talkative and a little ball of sunshine. it made his eyes hurt- or maybe that was the smoke? truthfully, what worried reed the most was the black gunk the tiny she-cat had produced from her mouth back at camp, and the way she seemed to be unable to help but cough. he had a small soft spot for kits, and he couldn't help but feel a little bit for the predicament this put windclan's young in.

with large paws and urgency carrying him faster, reed finally neared the riverclan border and hurried to the bridge. the thick smog that made it difficult to breathe was easing itself out of their lungs as they got farther and farther from the flames that devoured the open land of windclan. reed narrowed his eyes as he glanced at @Frightkit in his jaws, hoping she was still okay down there, as her breathes had become quite wheezy even as they had barely left camp. he nodded at foxtail and followed the tom to a thicket of beech trees, gently setting down the little kit among the windclanners that had arrived so far. his amber eyes glanced down at her, "you okay?" reed's muscles were tensed as he needed to leave to assist windclan camp again but felt he needed to check on the kit's condition, maybe out of common decency but maybe out of a little worry.

  •  
  • unnamed.png
    ≫ large dark brown tabby with piercing amber eyes
    ≫ 20 moons old; ages the 1st of every month
    ≫ semi-hard to befriend ; doesn't trust easily
    ≫ riverclan warrior. tags. #873427
    "speech", thoughts, attacking
    ≫ light powerplay allowed
 

1000004009-png.1568

✦ ˚  ✧ ˚ .˚ ✦  ✦
  • The memories formed in this place are soured by the stench of soot. It has a nasty habit of gouging its way into her nose against her will, the smog that lingers on their backs enough to fool one into thinking the fire had made its way here too. It invades where it is not welcome... just like the singe-furred refugees that rush like a dam-less river to flood the tree-lined clearing.

    Whatever preparations Smokestar had expected her to make seem like a silent attempt to ask her forgiveness rather than a proper request- a warning to calm the raging inferno that had only been mere sparks of lingering frustration that morning. She'd been as fleet-footed as ever to make it here before they did, to at least make sure it was not in complete shambles from all the skirmishes and battle training held here in moons prior. It is good enough. She would not waste her energy on more than that.

    The river-crested king would not escape this without hearing her flaming dissent but that would come later... in private, like she'd been molded to do. Like she'd been demanded and commanded under the iron grip of Cicadastar.

    Bury your feelings in the face of others... you are an arm of RiverClan first and foremost.... and a cat second.

    Her gaze is a razor-thin glare more than anything, her posture tall and scrutinizing like a banshee made of reeds and algae blooms... unwelcoming yet silent. They didn't deserve to be here... in this place they had trespassed upon, on soil where they'd split blood. This, their second home when their camp had been flooded... where her own former apprentice had been born and raised. They taint it.... ruin it with their stinking, slithering presence.

    The lynx point does them the biggest favor of all by holding her tongue.

    Her stare finds Smokestar for a moment, waits for him to match it and she hopes that in the tight-lipped, rigid planes of her face he can understand just how hot her temper runs now, just how much she withholds for his sake, to honor him despite the sting.
  • about
    speech hex code ✧ #6368A5
    ooc notes ✦ open to interaction just uhh... watch out. she bites.
    tagging ✶
    penned by tieirlys
  • ˚  ★⋆. ࿐࿔  ✦   .  .   ˚ .      . ✦     ˚     .
       .     ˚     *     ✦   .  .   ✦ ˚      ˚ .˚    ✦   .  .   ˚ .   ✦   .  .   ˚       ੈ✧˳·˖✶ ✦  ˚    ✦   .  .   ˚ ★⋆. ࿐࿔
       .     ˚     *     ✦   .  .   ✦ ˚      ˚ .˚    ✦   .  .   ˚ .             ✦  
 


( ) the boy arrives at his mentor’s side a few minutes before lichentail leads her patrol to prepare the beech copse. his breath comes fast and hard out of his maw and he has to take a moment to catch himself before he addresses foxtail. “lichentail seemed pretty mad,” he tells him, tail tip flicking. “so did petalnose. did smokestar do something bad?” he won’t put it past his king of an uncle- noble as smokestar is, he’s sure even the pitch tom can make mistakes. there’s not much time to talk before windclanners begin to appear, shepherded down the slope towards the river by various riverclan escorts. copper eyes seek out beepaw and cicadapaw, slight relief exhaling from him as he finds his cousins are safe.

notably, sunstar does not appear to be at smokestar’s side, and pebblepaw frowns slightly, curiosity tingling in his throat. he doesn’t question, instead turning with foxtail and helping his mentor lead the lost windclanners towards safety.

once they arrive, he slips to lichentail’s side, pressing against her in a meager attempt to comfort. wide eyes watch as the refugees pour in, smelling of acrid smoke and rabbit beneath. he knows well the history of his clan’s fight with the windclanners, has heard riverclan’s side of events countless times from boasting elders and tired queens. as wiry strong warriors enter, he glances away, instead fixing his sttention on the kits swinging in queens’ jaws. they hack and cough, still trying to chatter a mile a minute, and pebblepaw sees shellkit when he looks at them.

he recalls lichentail’s order to guard the nursery, and a sudden pang of unease rumbles in his belly. hazecloud, shellkit, the babies, all vulnerable in camp. if windclan makes a move, he decides, he’ll be ready.

  • // interacting with @FOXTAIL and then @lichentail " #848DAE"



  • pebblepaw.png



  • PEBBLEPAW ☼ HE / HIM, KITTEN OF RIVERCLAN. KINDLING x UNKNOWN, NEPHEW TO SMOKESTAR. 6 MOONS OLD, PENNED BY LAVS
    78389969_4iCqkn9hW1TGG8v.png
    a large blue tabby with low white. pale blue fur covers the length of pebblekit's stocky body, sliced through with darker tabby stripes and spots. baleful orange eyes peer out of heavy set sockets, and his muzzle, paws, and tail tip are dashed with white.



 
—————————————————————⊰★⊱————————————————————
He can feel the glare from across the river itself, padding forward with a wheeze to his breath and a kitten swinging from his jaws, he ignored his deputy's sharp gaze as he moved to set Grasskit down carefully cross the bridge a nose tilted to nudge them away from the river itself and further in where RiverClanners were present to ensure no one wandered too far in or got swept away by the current stumbling into the waters. "Stay here, your kin will be brought soon." Head raised and turning away, the dark tom moved to his clanmates with a furrowed brow and curl of his black lips in unease, "I am going back, ensure no one moves further into the territory until everyone is across." So he didn't have to repeat himself multiple times, to make clear to a group of cats whose leader was not present that on his territory his word was the law. He was already dreading dealing with it, had not expected as many kittens as there were when he'd seen their odd campsite - Sunstar didn't seem to be very vocal about the litter sizes, he wondered why. RiverClan was proud to announce a full nursery, ThunderClan was as well, SkyClan too - it was only ShadowClan he didn't hear from often but that was probably because ShadowClan was so small they were all related. A guess, anyways.
Briefly he glances once more at Lichentail, her posture, the narrow of her eyes, she looked seconds from bursting at the seams and he turned his head away to head back across the bridge without a word. If any cat here had a right to refuse WindClan it was he. Stars knew he should have, but deep down he knew he wouldn't be able to live with condemning kittens to a fiery blaze.

  • Ooc- Depositing @Grasskit , addressing @lichentail

  • 57913530_r2t3y4lghl4FDra.png
    Smokestar
    —⊰⋅ Leader of RiverClan
    —⊰⋅ He/Him
    "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
    —⊰⋅ Black tom w/vitiligo & one orange eye.

 
𓆝 . ° ✦ Grasskit had little fight left in him. He was probably a tad old to be held the way Smokestar had carried him, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice. Or that it was much of a struggle. He was small for his age, and a bit frail regularly, not even considering the heavy wheezing shaking his chest now. His soot-caked flank shuddered with effort. Safe to say he's had better days. Nonetheless, he roused a bit at the sound of chatter. His ride had been mostly silent.

The river roaring nearby in the gorge was just as loud as the fire. He decidedly did not like it. He forced his eyes open a bit, weakly trying to find his family.

 ° .  . ° 
  • ooc:
  • 53fac3ddf1437ce63593b72ee6ae2086.jpg
    NAME — HE/HIM ・ 3 MOONS ・ KIT & WINDCLAN ・ PENNED BY TWITCHTAIL
    Small fawn tabby with pale green eyes.
    "speak" thoughts action
    — peaceful, healing, and minor injury powerplay allowed
 
A kit is cuddled in her mane settled between her shoulder blades, her mind focused on getting the three children whom accompanied her to safety of the beech copse. Sheepkit is quite heavy due to his age and size, but she finds her way across the bridge connecting Windclan and Riverclan with an occasional cough due to the smothering effects of smoke. It taken longer than the others to arrive as she didn't want to forcefully snatch the kittens from their homes, instead she took the time to soothe them and calm the protesting cries of them. After earning their trust and their willingness to leave until Windclan was safe once more, she gathered them up and occasional carried them in between rounds whenever they were too tired to continue their journey.

The horizon seeps over the treeline as others of her clan can be seen, Foxtail helping the refugees and their families to the circular formation of beech trees. It provided shelter from the sun and the looming danger of the fire that couldn't pass the gorge. "We're almost there," she would murmur to the three as she glances down to the old kittens and offers a comforting smile "it's pretty, isn't it?" Her voice would inquire to the children as she continues to guide them to the beech copse. As soon as they finally reached the shade of the trees, she leans down and allows for Sheepkit to get off.

"You're safe now... Are any of you hungry or thirsty?" Troutsnout would inquire as she glances to Smokestar settling down a tabby kitten and saying something to them, an angering glare shot to him from Lichentail showing her clear disapprovement of this situation. She hadn't been involved in the previous shenanigans of Windclan and Riverclan, but she knew there was mentions of kit-thiefs and one of her leader's lives taken from them near the bridge. Though she had to return to get any more kittens, injured warriors or anyone else— she wanted to make sure the three were comfortable and relaxed before she continued on another exhausting travel.

OOC @sheepkit @ferretkit @gravekit
 
It's weird, listening to... Not Sunstar, and not Scorchstreak, and not Bluepool and not Rattleheart and not Brightshine... Pinkpaw has to leave her ears pricked to cats she's never met, and kinda didn't wanna meet, but it was important... so she did it anyways. She would see that Lakekit got... wherever they were going, okay. RiverClan isn't nearly as close as it seems all the time when they gotta walk all the way around the gorge... but at least they didn'th ave to stop and teach them all how to swim or nothin'. Pinkpaw had a hard enough life, being a tunneler. She didn't need to be a fish too.

" I guess here it is, " she mews to Lakekit and Blizzardpaw both, and she feels a little bad for Blizzardpaw, who wouldn't get to stay with their friend... " Are you okay? " she mews. " If RiverClan does anything funny, I'll totally beat them up! Umm, not like they would. " And she genuinely believes it, despite any stories she's heard. Because RiverClan wouldn't let them get this far just to be mean, right? " Thank you, RiverClan! " she mews to the RiverClanner that had lead them there.

She would scour the group of RiverClanners for a second, wondering if she'd see her friend she made at the gathering. Clay... something? Well, she couldn't look for too long... " We gotta go, " a little reluctantly, she tells Lakekit.

// OOC: talking to @Lakekit. & @BLIZZARDPAW
 
7qN5cDh.png



Uneasiness clings to him like a second skin. The beech trees encircle them, their canopy new and colorful, and Dimmingsun feels something akin to claustrophobia, caught beneath the shade in unfamiliar land. He doesn't look at the RiverClanners, doesn't want to see their distasteful thoughts mirrored in their gaze. All of this is embarrassing enough — warriors having to be saved, succumbing to pleading just so another Clan helps them out of the fire —, and to top it all of, he couldn't stay back home to help.

Logically, he knows there's little he could have done. His current condition would only be worsened by such close proximity to fire, and he'd probably keep dropping any wet moss whenever a coughing fit arrives, turning all his efforts into barely anything noticeable at all.

He sets Bilberrykit down and takes refuge with the knowledge that at least he could help the kits. WindClan's future cannot perish within smoke and ash. "You'll be safe here." Or so he hopes.

Dimmingsun takes a moment to catch his breath before doing a headcount. Surely the others are on their way- minus those who decided to stay. StarClan help them. But there's one specific pelt he's missing, and the realization makes his heart jump to his throat.

"Has anyone seen Celandinepaw?"



---


  • 7qN5cDh.png
  • DIMMINGSUN WINDCLAN WARRIOR
    ────── HE/HIM ✦ PENNED BY KARMEN ✦ 04/15
  • @BILBERRYKIT + open to interactions
 
OH, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE SOMEONE
THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO TALK TO
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
periwinklebreeze 21 moons demi-boy windclan lead warrior
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
78467824_a4pzKBESfsRFBod.png
Peri wants to snap at smkestar in all honesty - touching his kin, after all riverclan has said and done. After what smokestar himself has done to windclan. But he bites his tongue as he follows along, eyes never leaving the tom an grasskit until they arrive at the beech copes. unlike the others, the areas is unfamiliar - he's never set foot outside of windclans territory save for gatherings and the journey - never fought a battle on any land but their own. He takes it all in, placing @Dustkit down carefully. They're far to close to the river for his comfort, and he makes note to keep an eye on her, lest she fall in. He's no stranger to almost drowning. Instead, he joins dimmingsun in doing a headcount, frown flicking across his face as he realizes his shadow has disappeared as well. " Scorpionback is gone too... m-maybe they just st-stayed behind, to help at camp? " he voices, though it's clear he's uncertain of his words. Whatever the case, he can only hope they're unscathed, new members or not they'd seemed like alright cats.

actions & " speech, " & 'thoughts/quotes'
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
H EH ADN OO N ET H A TH EC O U L DT A L KT O
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
// mobile